The 1970s: That Was The Decade That Was

This is Channel Five's five part documentary from 2006 about the much maligned 1970's. Commercial nostalgia has transformed the 1970's into the ABBA-decade, old-timers from the "revolutionary" 1960's decry the 70's as the backlash decade when all good dreams turned sour and everything went to hell, and most others have a giggle at spandex, platform, shoes and other silly 70's fashion. Ah, there was punk, too, conflated into a few Six Pistol songs...

But as this documentary shows, the 1970's, truly, had been much more amazing, diverse, innovative alive and ugly than many of us who've been there seem to remember and many of us who came along later seem to realize. Time for a re-evaluation?

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Säsong 1

Episode 1

After the optimism of the 1960s, where was the following decade headed?
This documentary series takes a look at the atmosphere of the 1970s, where the
ideal of the nuclear family began to shift; and gender lines started to become blurred.
Contributors include Ekow Eshun, creative director of London's ICA; entrepreneur David Gold; writer Miranda Sawyer; filmmaker Don Letts and politicians Lord Tebbit and Martin Bell give their views on what exactly made the decade unique - for better or worse.

From Hippie to Yuppie

How social divisions, the recession and rising unemployment led to an upsurge in racism, which in turn resulted in the birth of such populist movements as the Anti-Nazi League. Also explored is Margaret Thatcher's election success and the policies she introduced in an attempt to create a more entrepreneurial society

Buy Buy Baby

Exploration of the rise in materialism during the decade, revealing how the increasing number of cars on the road led to more freedom and higher spending power all over the country. Consumers headed to large supermarkets and shopping centres rather than just making do with the corner shop, and the emphasis on personal appearance became apparent with the rise in plastic surgery procedures

Money Money Money

The rise of British consumerism during the decade as American products and ideas such as credit cards, and fast-food restaurants were made readily accessible to the public, spelling disaster for many homegrown manufacturers. The documentary also examines the move society made toward alternative businesses, and charts the beginning of Richard Branson's success

The Decade That Taste Forgot

The final programme in the documentary series examines the musical styles and fashion trends of the 1970s, including the rise of glam rock, the emergence of punk and the increased popularity of reggae. Plus, an insight into the work of Barbara Hulanicki, who was one of the first people to design modern clothes at affordable prices with her Biba range. With contributions from Ann Maurice and Paul Morley